Dear Friends,
Today is Yom Yerushalayim. It is a celebration of Jerusalem. The capital city of the Jewish people reunited forty-two years ago.
Jerusalem is the heart and soul of Jewish consciousness, Jewish soul, faith and culture. It is nothing less than the place that the Bible saw the Shechinah (God’s presence) dwelling.
I am fortunate to have spent a great deal of time in Jerusalem. I first went in High School. I have lived there as a student. I traveled with students and I have brought synagogue groups there. I have had the opportunity to send each of my children to Jerusalem, I have shared precious time there, and I have studied in Jerusalem as a rabbi. Tobi and I have spent some of our most wonderful moments learning together and walking the streets of Jerusalem.
The tradition speaks of two Jerusalem’s; an earthly city and a Jerusalem “on high”…a spiritual mystical place.
One of the qualities of the “real” Jerusalem that always strikes me is in the people you see in the streets and in its neighborhoods. It has been said that no city in the world has more languages spoken at any one time. There are people of every color and almost every ethnic origin. There are people of every faith. Once, I spent an afternoon sitting in the Old City photographing people walk by. I saw people from all over the world.
Ironically, though sitting in the midst of a region in conflict, Jerusalem is a city of peace. Its very name comes from “Ir Shalom”. Yet, so frequently it is at the center of controversy and hostility. It need not always be that way. The vision of the prophet suggested that one day all people will come together in peace and all people will worship one God in Jerusalem. That is the hope and that is the dream of Jerusalem.
Between 1948 and 1967 Jews and others were prohibited from entry into sections of the city and religious sites. Today, religious sites are protected. Today, Jerusalem is an open city. I hope and pray that one day Jerusalem will truly fulfill the prophet’s vision. I hope and pray that one day this City of Gold will be a beacon of light, and a model of co-existence for all people in the world. But on this day we join with those in Zion; those who love Jerusalem. Today we turn our eyes to “Yerushalayim shel zahav” and celebrate its beauty and wonder.
We pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all who love her.
I wish you a Happy Yom Yerushalayim. I hope to see you in her streets.
Rabbi David Steinhardt
